AI is everywhere, and even a part of Google Search, but Australians will miss out on the agentic “AI Mode” of Google, at least for a little bit longer.
Whether you’re a fan of AI or someone more against it (or maybe someone in the middle), there’s a good chance you’ve not been able to escape it. AI is almost quite literally everywhere; it’s in phones, computers, cars, social media, ovens, washing machines, and it’s even coming to toys.
One area that saw an AI take initially was search, and since then, you may need to use your brain to work out whether one of Google’s AI Overviews is actually legitimately correct or just a mistruth masquerading as a hallucination.
While Google doesn’t always get it right with its AI additions, or even the AI approaches rolled out into the Pixel 10 Pro XL for that matter, the company is giving AI another go, rolling out its AI agents to more countries around the world.
Announced earlier in the year, Google’s “AI Mode” is essentially the search engine using artificial intelligence and acting as an agent on your behalf. It’s no wonder this is called “agentic search”, with AI acting like an agent to do things for you, such as looking up details about where to book, service appointments, and more.
Launched to the US first, Google’s AI Mode is now rolling out in a lot of places, including Canada, the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, and even New Zealand.
But not in Australia, where it seems Aussies will miss out, at least for the moment. The few scientists and penguins with access to Google in Antarctica will get AI Mode, but not Aussies.
Checking in with Google as to why, the local arm noted that while AI mode is “resonating with people” and “seeing them ask much longer, more complex questions – two to three times the length of a normal search”, the company is taking what it calls a “responsible” and “phased” approach to rolling out the agentic mode locally.
“We’re taking a thoughtful, responsible, and phased approach to its roll out, to ensure we get the experience right for each country, including engaging with local stakeholders. Our aim is to bring AI Mode to more people and more places, but we have no specific timing to share for Australia just yet,” said a spokesperson for Google.
While that may sound a little cryptic, Australia missing out on AI Mode’s rollout to 180 more countries may have to do with previous issues between Google and the Australian government.
Recently, Google has threatened to sue the Australian government over the upcoming social media ban’s inclusion of YouTube, while the search giant has only recently pulled back on a deal with local publishers following publisher deals made back in 2022. Google and Australia have history, you see.
That could be colouring the decision to let Australia get the AI Mode early, or at least in sync with much of the rest of the world.
With just over 180 countries seeing Google’s agentic AI search mode and only 195 countries in the world, you just know Australia is being left out for a reason, even if Google isn’t saying it publicly.
It could change soon enough, though, so stay tuned. Chances are it’ll just happen on an upcoming search, with AI Mode switching on when Google says go.
